Latest news with #DannyLuhde-Thompson
The National
30-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Hedge fund boss buys Scottish island as last 2 residents leave
Fior Rona Ltd, a company set up by hedge fund manager Danny Luhde-Thompson and his wife Cressida Pollock last month, has bought the Isle of Rona in a private exchange with the previous owner. Found between Skye and Raasay, Rona is home to settlements along with deer and is covered in knee-deep scrub and bogs, which cover the 2400 acres of rocky landscape. The island also boasts a vast variety of marine life ranging from minke whales to sea eagles, and is surrounded by other islets, including Eilean Seamraig, Garbh Eilean which is connected to Rona at low tide, Sgeirean Buidhe Bhorlum, and A' Sgeir Shuas READ MORE: 10,000-acre Highland juniper forest gains special European status in UK-first Luhde-Thompson, who is a prominent financial backer of the Labour Party, announced the purchase of the island from a Danish couple Dorte and Arne Jensen, who bought Rona in 1992 for a sum just short of £250,000. The sale of the island coincided with the retirement of the last two residents of the island, as the couple Bill Cowie and Lorraine Shill have decided to leave after moving there in the early 2000s. The pair have worked as custodians of Rona for more than two decades after they moved there in 2002 but said the time is right to move on this Autumn. Speaking to the Scotsman 69-year-old Cowie said the mood still feels 'business as usual' on the island as he said: 'When we finally set sail out the harbour, that's going to be when we feel it after being here all these years,' he said. 'It's not just been a job living and working here. It's been part of our life for the last 23 years. 'But things move on and it's time for us to move on. We have reached a stage where age is against us and we can't do more of what it takes to run a place like Rona. 'We will miss the views.' Rona's natural beauty has remained mostly unchanged despite the booming tourism trade of its neighbouring islands like Skye, as it only has two holiday cottages, a lodge, a bothy, and a separate home built for the couple to live in. There is also a small museum which was constructed out of a ruin at a settlement site and some abandoned Ministry of Defence buildings to the north of the island. (Image: PR) There are no roads and no shops, but a venison larder and butchery have recently been built by Cowie, who has managed the red deer herd. A spokesperson for Ltd Adam Crookshank told the Scotsman: 'The island of Rona has been purchased by Fior Rona Ltd who will look to carry on the excellent work of the previous owners and custodians and will try to ensure that the natural heritage, including the island itself and the marine environment that surrounds it, continues to thrive under their custodianship. 'This will include carrying out baseline surveys to understand the current state of biodiversity and allow for the development of a considered plan to further protect and restore the natural habitats, and to measure progress over time.'
Daily Record
30-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Hedge fund boss buys Scots island as two remaining residents prepare to leave
A remote Scottish island home to just two people has been sold to a hedge fund tycoon. A hedge fund manager has bought a remote Scottish Island - as its only two residents are set to leave. The Isle of Rona sits between Skye and Raasay and is home to settlements, roaming deer and marine life from minke whales to sea eagles. New owner Fior Rona Ltd, a company set up by hedge fund manager Danny Luhde-Thompson and his wife Cressida Pollock last month, announced its official purchase of the Inner Hebridean island this week. The sale was "at market rate" during a private exchange, with the owners not wishing to disclose the price. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Rona, blanketed in knee-deep scrub and bogs, characterised by rocky outcrops and with stunning views across the mainland and Inner and Outer Hebridean islands, was sold by Danish couple Dorte and Arne Jensen. The couple bought the island in 1992 for a sum just short of £250,000 and have been regular visitors to the location since. For more than two decades, the 2,400-acre island has been home to couple Bill Cowie and Lorraine Shill, the only two residents on the island and who have worked as custodians of Rona since moving there in the early 2000s. Bill, who moved to the island almost 25 years ago where he lived alone for several years before being joined by Lorraine, who he met when she came over for a holiday and decided to stay. The island has remained miraculously underdeveloped, compared to the ever increasingly popular Skye, with just two holiday cottages for guests, a lodge, a bothy and a separate home built for the couple to live in. They are set to leave in the autumn. The sale of the island ties in with the the couple's retirement. Speaking after the announcement, Mr Cowie, 69, said the mood still feels " business as usual" until the pair officially move from Rona in the autumn. "When we finally set sail out the harbour, that's going to be when we feel it after being here all these years," he said. "It's not just been a job living and working here. It's been part of our life for the last 23 years. "But things move on and it's time for us to move on. "We have reached a stage where age is against us and we can't do more of what it takes to run a place like Rona. "We will miss the views." A small museum has been made out of a ruin at a settlement site and some abandoned Ministry of Defence buildings sit to the north. There are no roads and no shops. A recent addition to the island has been a venison larder and butchery built by Mr Cowie, who has carefully managed the Rona herd of red deer since moving to the island in 2002. The produce, 'Rona Venison ', is supplied to guests and sold locally. On the future of the island, spokesperson for Fior Rona Ltd Adam Crookshank said: "The island of Rona has been purchased by Fior Rona Ltd who will look to carry on the excellent work of the previous owners and custodians and will try to ensure that the natural heritage, including the island itself and the marine environment that surrounds it, continues to thrive under their custodianship. "This will include carrying out baseline surveys to understand the current state of biodiversity and allow for the development of a considered plan to further protect and restore the natural habitats, and to measure progress over time." The island currently supports low-impact tourism with two holiday lets and attracts hundreds of visiting sailing boats to the harbours throughout the year, of which there are two on the island. Mr Crookshank said the new owners will continue to welcome visitors to Rona and look forward to engaging with local businesses and stakeholders into the future.
